National Space Society Blog

The National Space Society (NSS) is pleased to announce that this year’s Legislative Blitz was very successful, as we called on Congress to work with the Administration and NASA to reach consensus on a unified and comprehensive human and robotic spaceflight program.

The annual Blitz, conducted in conjunction with 12 other non-profit space advocacy organizations that collectively form the Space Exploration Alliance (SEA), is a grassroots event that unites individuals from all walks of life and with diverse political beliefs to meet with members of Congress and/or their staff to stress the importance of space exploration and development.

“We had 100 congressional meetings over two days, and found broad bi-partisan support for our space program, but varying opinions as to the best path forward in light of the current budget situation, and those differences of opinion are not necessarily based on party lines,” said NSS Executive Vice President Rick Zucker, the primary coordinator and scheduler for the Blitz on behalf of SEA.

The Blitz teams advocated for the six major components of a well-developed U.S. space program contained in the SEA’s Blitz Talking Points:

1. Development of the next generation of launch vehicles that are “mission-enabling and mission-enhancing, while at the same time focused on efficiency, affordability, safety, reliability and sustainability”;

2. Full support by Congress for the commercial launch industry in its efforts to restore American access to the International Space Station, with NASA focusing its resources on exploration, which would provide NASA with a higher return on its science/exploration budget;

3. Establishment of specific timelines and goals for future human space activities, including at least one intermediate destination beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), such as an asteroid or the Moon, as well as a plan to land a human on Mars;

4. Support for space science that will push the boundaries of knowledge and pave the way for human space exploration;

5. The definition and prioritization by NASA of the most promising advanced technology concepts, which will not only provide the means to explore and develop space, and a sustained human presence in space, but also to develop new applications to improve life on Earth; and

6. A sustained generational commitment to NASA’s mission that transcends partisan politics and election cycles, as well as provides incentives for private sector participation and international partnerships.

In addition to the Blitz Talking Points and other informative materials, a copy of NSS’s recently published “Call to Action for American Leadership in Civil Space” was distributed to the individual members and their staff at each of the meetings.

NSS Executive Director Paul Damphousse said, “NSS is very pleased to lead the SEA in calling on Congress and the Administration to work together in leveraging the necessary partnerships between the public and private sectors relative to space exploration and launch capabilities. We look forward to a continued strong relationship with our sister organizations in advocating for our mutual goals.”

About the Space Exploration Alliance: The Space Exploration Alliance is an unprecedented partnership of the nation’s premier non-profit space organizations with a combined membership of thousands of people throughout the United States. SEA members work together to communicate to the American public and elected officials that NASA’s bold and substantial mandate for human and robotic exploration of the solar system is a compelling national priority that is technically and fiscally achievable, will inspire the nation’s youth and the public, reinvigorate the traditional aerospace workforce and industrial base, and foster job-creating entrepreneurial activity across the entire economy.

From Sunday, February 26 through Tuesday, February 28, 2012, the National Space Society and the Space Exploration Alliance will be holding the annual grassroots visit to Congress, known as the “Legislative Blitz.”

With unprecedented budgetary pressures facing the legislative and executive branches of government, the debate continues about the future direction and funding of our nation’s space programs. More than ever before, it is absolutely critical that the voices of the space advocacy community be heard in this debate.

Come join space advocates from around the country to let Congress know that there is strong constituent support for an ambitious and sustainable path forward. 

Please REGISTER HERE for the Legislative Blitz. For more information, please contact Rick Zucker at Rick.Zucker@nss.org or 508-651-9936.

Every February, as the U.S. Congress begins its deliberations on the federal budget, NSS members visit Representatives and Senators in their offices in Washington, DC, in support of the Society’s most important space-related agenda items for the year. This event, held over a three-day period, typically involves meetings with over one hundred congressional offices. This activity is open to all NSS members — no experience necessary, and, the more the better! — and allows members of Congress to hear directly from their constituents about the importance of expanding civilization into space. 

by Brian Cleaver

“I am definitely in.”

It was these four words that I had said to Rick Zucker, Executive Vice President of the National Space Society, on February 24, 2011, that gave me a very unique opportunity to directly impact the future of our country’s human space exploration program by bringing my thoughts and ideas on human space exploration directly to the heart of our country in Washington DC. The National Space Society, in the grassroots event known as the Legislative Blitz, visited Capitol Hill for a series of congressional meetings on Monday, February 28, 2011 and Tuesday, March 1, 2011. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in a series of congressional meetings on that Monday.

With the National Space Society having the support of a group of organizations known as the Space Exploration Alliance, which includes Explore Mars, the Mars Society, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space, Federation of Galaxy Explorers, Space Generation Foundation, and numerous other notable organizations, the National Space Society had a very powerful message to deliver to our members of Congress which I was able to participate in sending. As a student studying International Relations at American University in Washington DC and as someone who has experience interning in the government, I can appreciate the uniqueness of this opportunity. I highly recommend that any student or other person get involved in participating in doing something they are passionate about – ensuring the success of our country’s space exploration program.

As a member and vice president of another space-related organization, Save NASA, I have a great deal of experience working on promoting the importance of human space exploration to our members of Congress by various means. Our organization was created shortly after President Obama announced changes to our country’s human space exploration program in February of 2010.

As a former student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, I and other students who were a part of Save NASA at Embry-Riddle worked on promoting the importance of human space exploration to our members of Congress by organizing students at a Campus-Wide Presentation and by organizing what we named a Roadside Awareness Rally. We also created a petition that received 823 signatures from people across the United States and the world. Eventually, another student and I visited Capitol Hill on two occasions. We had a series of meetings with staffers from a variety of congressional offices to discuss how we feel that human space exploration can change our world like nothing else can and to discuss why we feel that human space exploration should be among the United States’ top priorities.

Nine months later, in February of 2011, as I was surfing the Internet, I coincidentally found out about the upcoming Legislative Blitz only five days before the first scheduled congressional meeting. While surprised at the convenient timing, at that point, I was really excited to hear that I would be able to get back to working on promoting the importance of space exploration to our members of Congress. I attended a meeting with my fellow “Blitzers” on Sunday, February 27, 2011. While there, I realized that I was in a room with very dedicated space enthusiasts who had flown across the United States to come to Washington DC to ensure the success of our country’s space exploration program.

The following day, we began the Legislative Blitz. The series of meetings I attended included meetings with the offices of well-known and very influential members of the House and Senate. In these meetings, I and other participants discussed the primary talking points outlined in the Space Exploration Alliance talking points document. These talking points emphasized the importance of launch capacity, utilizing the private sector, setting timelines and destinations, ensuring the continuation of researching and developing new technology, and ensuring that NASA’s long term mission of space exploration is sustained.

Coming from a group of students at Embry-Riddle who believe that going to the Moon and then onward to Mars is more beneficial than going to an asteroid and then Mars, I was given the opportunity to voice these personal views in these congressional meetings to people who have direct influence over our country’s space exploration program. I discussed my opinions by stating, among other things, how I believe that there are greater opportunities on the Moon due to it being closer to the Earth. I mentioned that going to the Moon opens up the opportunity for the establishment of a near Earth permanent lunar colony for scientific, economic and national security purposes. Furthermore, I was able to discuss how the Moon could lead the United States to utilizing an experimental energy source on the Moon known as Helium-3 that could potentially replace oil. I also was able to discuss our organization’s work and how students at Embry-Riddle, including myself, have played a role in ensuring the success of our country’s space exploration by influencing members of Congress.

Doubtlessly, by participating in the Blitz, I took part in an event that had an impact on our country’s space exploration program. A few weeks after the Legislative Blitz, I attended a NASA-related hearing and saw congressional staffers working at the hearing that I recognized from our meetings on the Hill during the Blitz. It is obvious that I had been a part of a series of very important meetings. Attending these meetings knowing that we can influence the direction of our country and our world was very unique and, overall, it was a lot of fun. The opportunity to attend congressional meetings is a great opportunity, and the opportunity to attend congressional meetings regarding something that a person is passionate about is an even greater opportunity. Without a doubt, joining the National Space Society for the 2011 Legislative Blitz was a tremendous opportunity which I recommend anyone who is passionate about space exploration take part in, and as the National Space Society has done in previous trips, I look forward to seeing our talking points play a tremendous influence in the direction of our country and our world.